Shedding in Reptiles
Many people are familiar with the fact that reptiles shed. It's quite an interesting process if one were to think of it, and I'm sure on some days us humans feel like we could use and nice, fresh coat of skin to get us through another month of the rough and tough ways of life.
Human's certainly do experience 'shedding' in some aspects, all mammals do. It comes in the form of peeling from sunburns, dandruff, dust, even healing. We lose skin all the time, but it is not for the same reasons or in the same ways that reptiles do, so let's dive into the world of shedding in reptiles
How Does Shedding Work in Reptiles?
Ecdysis (the process of shedding) is when a reptile sheds its outer layer of skin. As a reptile grows throughout it's life, and it's skin is like a sweater. We all grow out of old clothes, and reptiles will grow out of old skin. As shedding begins, a brand new layer of skin begins to form underneath the old, and soon after awhile the old skin begins to dry and detach from the fresh layer underneath.Eventually, the new layer is completely developed, and the old begins to peel off in dry scraps.
Why Do Reptiles Shed?
Reptiles grow throughout their whole lives, and their skin doesn't grow with them. Once a reptile has gotten too large for it's first layer of skin, a new layer must form to compensate for their body length and weight change.
What Are The Signs of Shedding?
Often times, for a new reptile owner a first time shed could be worrisome. The signs of shedding can easily be mistaken for signs of illness, but don't fear too much if your reptile begins showing these signs for a short period of time.
- Change in color - Decreased appitite
- Sluggishness
- Rubbing against things
How Long Does Shedding Last?
Shedding is a fairly quick process and often times can last between 30 minutes and several hours. Often times, your reptilian friend will choose night time to go through this process. Most occasions, you will go to bed with a dull, sluggish animal, and wake up to a bright, fresh pet!
Problems With Shedding?
Sometimes your reptile will have issues shedding their skin. Most often, signs of this are stuck shed on the feet, toes, eyes, nose, and tail. Normally, the cause of stuck shed is from improper humidity. When a reptile is in shed, you should increase humidity in their enclosure even if they are an arid originating animal. Provide a wet box or give them a soak in warm water to loosen the skin. If the problem persists, problems with shedding can sometimes indicate a parasite or underlying illness, however don't jump to conclusions too quickly, and just attempt to moisten the stuck skin and even assist in gently peeling it off. Do not leave stuck shed unsolved. This can cause build up, skin infection, even lost eyes and digits from constriction and irritation.
What Should I Do With The Skin After?
In geckos and some lizards there is nothing to worry about with leftover skin. Often times, geckos and some lizards will consume their dead skin. This is thought to be a leftover instinct from the wild in order to eliminate scents and traces for predators to find and track. Sometimes, even with this instinct, pieces of skin are left behind. In this event, simply clean the skin from the cage and dispose of it. In snakes, the whole skin is shed in one piece, and is not eaten by the snake. Like when pieces of skin are shed from geckos and lizards and is left behind, just clean the shed from your snakes cage and throw it out. Or, if it's an exceptionally nice piece, keep it to show off to friends!
How Often Will My Reptile Shed?
Younger reptiles will shed more often than older ones, for they grow faster. Younger reptiles will shed between every 1 to 2 weeks, and older reptiles will eventually only shed monthly. It also depends on the reptile you own what these times will look like, and it's important to do plenty of research on the reptile you aquire.
